Extremely Close To Normal
by theoofoof
Summary: Just a silly, crappy, little one-shot that I wrote when I was quite a bit younger than I am now and I've just found festering away on my hard drive. Scully is keeping something from Mulder, what is it, and how will it change their relationship.


Rating: PG

Spoilers: Very small references to Squeeze, Beyond the Sea, Little Green Men, Irresistible, Colony/End Game, Anasazi/Blessing Way/Paper Clip, Pusher

Archive: Please let me know where so I can visit and keep my name and address attached

Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Mrs Scully aren't mine. They are the property of Fox television and 1013 productions. I'm using them without permission but I'm not making any money of it. The character of Rachel is my own creation though and if anyone wishes to borrow her, could you please ask first! Thanks.

Authors notes: The timeline in this story is probably completely wrong but it is set during the 3rd season. I don't know how long Scully was with the FBI before she was partnered with Mulder but I'm assuming about 2 years.

I know this story is really "out there" and would never happen (but then how much of the X Files would. However this was a plot bunny that just wouldn't go away, it kept on and on at me until I wrote it (I even began dreaming about this fic!) I actually wrote this story 3 years ago but decided to post it as it was then. Please forgive the weirdness of it and enjoy…

Part 1

FBI Headquarters. February 15th 1995

As Special Agent Dana Scully made her way down the long corridor to her and Mulder's shared office she evaluated their life together so far. He had saved her life so many times, rescued her from a whole range of different monsters and mutants: from Eugene Tooms to Donnie Phaster, he had

been there when she had lost her father and her sister. She had saved him many times too, not least that time in the Arctic Circle or when she managed to stop him succumbing to Modell's wishes. She had been there when he had lost his father and she knew everything about his sister's disappearance. They had been through so much together and they were closer than any other partners yet there were things that she would never tell him, things that she

didn't want him to know.

He'd judge me or, worse, hate me! she thought.

She pushed these thought to the back of her mind as she opened the door to their pokey little office.

Little did she know that today something was going to change her and Mulder's relationship forever.

Part 2

Mulder and Scully's office 09:42

"Morning Scully," yelled Mulder from under the desk

"Mulder, what on earth?"

"I dropped my pencil and I'm attempting to find it," he cut in, "ah-ha got-ya!" He crawled out from underneath the desk and got up. Unfortunately he didn't crawl out far enough and on his way up he whacked his head on the underside of the desk.

"SHIT!"

Scully looked up from the desk when she heard the bang and Mulder's curse. She couldn't help letting out a chuckle when she saw him crawl out of from under the desk and stand up clutching the back of his had.

"Something you find funny, Agent Scully," he asked sarcastically, "didn't your mother ever tell you that laughing at other people's misfortune was wrong?"

"Sorry Mulder, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll survive. Oh by the way there was a phone call for you earlier, a Gina Matheson"

"Gina Matheson, now there is a name I've not heard in a while! We went to med school together, she's a trauma surgeon now in Richmond. Did she say what she wanted?"

"She said she needed to speak to you, that it was urgent, something involving a girl called Rachel."

All the colour drained from Scully's face in an instant, this was her worst nightmare coming true!

"No, no it can't be!" Scully whispered to herself. "No, no, no." It became almost like a chant as she walked across the office to pick up the phone.

"Scully? Scully what's going on? Who is Rachel?" She didn't respond so he decided to try the only way he knew of to get her undivided attention. "DANA! What the hell is going on?" The use of her first name did exactly what he knew it would. She pivoted round to face him but she didn't look him in the eye.

"It's a long story Mulder." It was all she could think of to say.

"Well I'm not going anywhere, tell me!"

"I need to make this phone call first, okay"

"Okay, but then you'll tell me?"

Scully didn't answer. She picked up the phone, her hand shaking as she dialled the number she retrieved from her cell phone. It was answered after only two rings:

"Hello, Richmond County Hospital, Jenny speaking."

"G-good morning, this is Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI. I was wondering if I could speak to Dr Gina Matheson?" Mulder watched his partner as she spoke trying to work out what was going on in her head but he was drawing a blank. He was a psychologist for Christ's sake, why was this so

hard!

"Dana?" the voice came softly at the other end of the line

"Gina, what the hell is going on? What happened? Is she okay?"

"Dana calm down she's fine!"

"Oh thank God, I thought it was something serious." Mulder could tell that her fist concern had been the safety of the little girl and that she was obviously relieved that she was okay but he couldn't work out what else was wrong.

"There was a road accident Dana. Rachel was in the car last night with Carl and Chrissy, when Chrissy lost control and their car hit a tree. Chrissy is still in a coma after having major surgery."

"What about Carl?" Mulder looked up at the mention of another man's name. He didn't know a Carl. He wasn't one of Scully's brothers and he'd never heard her mention him before. Maybe he's her cousin he thought

"Carl took the full force of the impact Dana. His injuries were too severe. I'm sorry but he didn't make it."

"He's dead? Oh God, has anyone told Rachel?"

"No we thought it would be best coming from someone she knew. I called as soon as I could!"

"It's okay. Thanks I appreciate it. I'll be there as soon as possible." and she hung up without saying goodbye. Mulder watched his partner as she replaced the handset of the phone and gave her a few minutes before pushing the

issue.

"Dana, are you okay?" He didn't know why he had used her first name, it just seemed right.

"Yes Mulder, I'm fine" The standard Scully response to the standard Mulder question, he'd expected it. Scully didn't like to show her emotions. He challenged her again.

"I don't believe you," he said softly. "You seem to be forgetting that I know you, I can read you like a book."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do, Mulder."

"What?! That's ridiculous, we share everything, you know everything about me and I know everything about you!"

"You don't know everything about me, about my past Mulder. You've got a long way to go before you know everything about me!" Then it clicked, she was keeping something from him, probably had been for the duration of their

partnership. He started to become angry, and then hurt but he pushed those feelings aside, he needed to know.

"Scully, what aren't you telling me?" He could see tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at him. She started to move towards him then a sudden look of panic swept across her face.

"I'm sorry Mulder, really I am, but I can't do this right now," she cried and bolted through the door.

Part 3

Outside Mrs Scully's house 10:30

Mulder sat in his car outside the house that belonged to his partner's mother. He had sat in his office after Scully had run, he had known there would be no point in chasing her -- he needed to give her some time. However, he didn't need to talk to Scully to find the answers he wanted. He had tried Skinner but all he would disclose was that Scully had taken an indefinite leave of absence on personal grounds. Mrs Scully was his last chance. He knew Mrs Scully would never betray Dana's confidence but he hoped that she would trust him enough to give him some insight into her past. He then decided that it was time to find out just what skeletons Dana Katherine Scully was hiding in her closet. He walked up the path to the front door and was just about to knock when Mrs Scully opened it before he got the chance.

"Honestly, Fox, I thought you were going to sit outside in your car forever." Good old Mrs Scully, never missed a trick.

"Hi, Mrs Scully", Mulder said as Margaret Scully pulled him into a rather embarrassing embrace.

"What can I do for you, Fox?" He had never liked his first name but it sounded so caring when Mrs Scully used it,

"Have you spoken to Dana this morning?" He knew this question would cause Mrs Scully to worry but he didn't know how else to approach the subject.

"No, Fox, I haven't spoken to her since our lunch yesterday. Why what's happened?"

"Oh, its probably nothing," he lied, "it's just that she received a phone call this morning and when I asked her about it she ran from me and she's taken a leave of absence from work. I'm worried that she is keeping something from me."

"That doesn't sound like Dana at all! Do you have any idea what the phone call was about?"

"All I know is that came from a hospital in Richmond and that it was about a girl called Rachel!" Margaret Scully went white at the mention of this name and Mulder could tell something was going on.

"Mrs Scully are you okay?"

"Yes Fox, I'm fine." Now he knew where Dana got it. "Is Rachel hurt?"

"I don't know, I didn't get much from the phone call. Who is Rachel, Mrs Scully?"

"Fox, this is really something that you should talk to Dana about."

"I would and believe me I tried but she doesn't want to talk to me. Mrs Scully I would never ask you to betray Dana but I care about her and I want to help her, but I can't do that unless I know what's going on." Mrs Scully was moved by his speech and she could see the love that this man harboured for her daughter. She knew he had a right to know.

"You'd better sit down Fox," said Mrs Scully sweetly. Mulder did as she had requested and took a seat next to her on the couch. "This may come as a bit of a shock Fox, I can't believe that Dana didn't tell you, but Rachel is Dana's daughter."

Part 4

Dana Scully's car -- on the way to Richmond

As she drove she chastised herself for her behaviour in the office. She should have told him, she had wanted to tell him but when it came down to it the words just wouldn't come. She didn't know why, or how, she had kept it from him for 3 years, well technically that was a lie: she knew why but she didn't know how. She hadn't told him at first to protect Rachel from any criminals who may hold a grudge, but when she felt the growing physical attraction between her and Mulder she hadn't told him in order to create a barrier between them. If she knew that he didn't know about Rachel then she would not be able to take their relationship onto the next level. She suspected that her reasoning only made sense to her but she didn't really care. She had more pressing issues to deal with right now like how to tell her 6-year-old daughter that her father was dead. It was hard enough for her when her own father had died and she had been 30. She hadn't seen Rachel since

Christmas because of the sheer volume of cases her and Mulder had had, but they'd spoke on the phone nearly every night. When she thought about it she didn't really know that much about her own daughter, she knew that her favourite band were the Backstreet Boys, that her favourite food was Spaghetti Bolognese, and that she was a New York Yankees fan. Okay they were just superficial things she knew some intimate details but not as many as a mother should. She wondered what Mulder would make of Rachel – he'd probably label her as a 'miniature Scully'. Come to think about it they would probably either get on like a house on fire or hate each other's guts. She hoped it was the first one, she really did, but then again it didn't really matter because after her behaviour this morning Mulder probably never wanted to see her again. She wiped the tears from her eyes and carried on driving

Part 5 -- Mrs Scully's House

Mulder just sat staring at the wall, he was shell-shocked. Whatever he was expecting to get out of his conversation with Mrs Scully it wasn't that: Scully had a daughter. Thousands of questions were whizzing through his head: Why hadn't she told him? How had she managed to keep it from him? What would Rachel be like? He was brought back to reality by Mrs Scully's voice.

"Fox, are you okay?"

"I'm just a little shocked," was his reply.

Margaret Scully looked at him then let out a sigh of relief, he didn't look angry as she had expected him to, he just looked hurt and thoughtful.

"I can't believe Dana didn't tell you, I'm very disappointed in her. I can't believe she was able to conceal it from you for this long, she must have known it

would come out eventually."

"Why doesn't Rachel live with her?"

"Just before Dana graduated from med school she met this man, Carl. They hit it off instantly and soon they began seeing each other. About 6 months into the relationship Dana discovered she was pregnant. Carl didn't take the news

well at first but by the time Rachel arrived he was happy about it. He and Dana moved in together to try and give Rachel a stable family home, but it didn't work. He didn't like the idea of Dana joining the FBI and eventually he

left, when Rachel was 1. It turned out that he'd been having an affair with a woman called Chrissy, who convinced Carl to fight for custody of Rachel. Due to the fact that Dana was joining the FBI, which the courts saw as a dangerous job, he won. It was really hard for Dana, she doted on Rachel." Mulder had worked out that Rachel must be about 6 from what Mrs Scully had said.

"Why did she join the FBI if it meant giving up Rachel?"

"Don't judge Dana on this, but she came to believe that even if she didn't join the FBI Carl would be able to give Rachel a better life. She sees Rachel as often as she can and talks to her every night. She is so like Dana -- she's a

tomboy and her favourite food is spaghetti, just like Dana's was when she was little." Mulder rose from his seat.

"Fox?"

"I've gotta get up there Mrs Scully, I need to see her."

"Of course, get her to call me as soon as she can." Mulder nodded and headed out towards his car.

Mulder had been in love with Scully for a long time, probably since their fist case, and when she was abducted that was when he had finally admitted it to himself. But Scully having a daughter changed everything -- he had always thought that he had Scully all to himself, but now he had to share. As he drove he imagined Rachel, shoulder length red hair and bright blue eyes just like her mother. He couldn't wait to meet her, he wondered if she had her mother's temperament. He hoped not -- he didn't think he could handle two of them.

Part 6

When Mulder arrived at Richmond County Hospital, he realised that he didn't know Rachel's surname so it was unlikely that he would be able to find her even with his FBI clearance. He didn't really know what to do but then it clicked. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled, "Scully residence, Margaret speaking."

"Hi, Mrs Scully it's Agent Mulder."

"Fox. Have you seen Dana? How is she?"

"No, not yet. I can't find her because I don't know Rachel's surname."

"It's Adams, Rachel Melissa Adams"

"Thanks Mrs Scully, I'll call again soon," and he hung up without saying goodbye. He went straight to the reception and asked for Rachel Adams' room number, but the nurses weren't exactly forthcoming with the information. So, as he had done plenty of times before, he flashed his badge and suddenly he had access to all the information on Rachel he wanted.

Part 7

He walked up to the door and paused outside. What the hell was he supposed to say? He looked in through the window and could see Scully asleep in a chair at her daughters' bedside. He looked at Rachel, she was just as he has imagined her and more. The surge of love he felt for this child surprised him.

Why? asked a voice in his head You love her Mom so it should be easy to love her He smiled, he did love Scully so he hoped that her daughter could love him. He entered the room as quietly as he could but somehow he still managed to wake Rachel. She looked extremely sad, like she'd been crying. For a moment he wondered why.

She's just lost her dad, idiot

"Who are you?" she asked solemnly, "Are you one of the doctors?" Mulder could tell that she was very bright for her age.

"No," he replied "I'm a friend of your Mom's." He held out his hand and put on his best posh accent. "Fox Mulder, pleased to meet you Ma'am" This made Rachel giggle.

"You don't like Fox, do you?" Rachel must have seen the look of confusion on his face because she added, "Mom talks about you a lot"

"Oh, does she -- well I hope it's not just the bad things that she tells you!" he said smiling

"None of what she says is bad, she really likes you, y'know?"

He never got around to asking Rachel what she meant because at that precise moment Scully awoke, "Rachel, sweetie, who are you talking to?" It was at this point Mulder realised that he was standing directly behind Scully so she couldn't see him.

Rachel lifted her arm and pointed past Scully, in the direction of Mulder and said simply,

"Agent Mulder." Scully's head span round so fast that it could have been an X file.

"Mulder?" She said not quite believing it.

Mulder grinned sheepishly and said "Hi, I spoke to your Mom after you left, and I thought you could use a friend."

"Mulder, I'm so sorry," she replied. "I should have told you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I think so, but we are definitely going to have to attend one of those communication seminars when we get back!" Both he and Scully laughed and were brought back to reality when Rachel spoke.

"If you two want to continue talking could you please do it outside -- I really need to sleep," she said with that stern look that Scully sometimes gave Mulder.On his way out the door Mulder muttered,

"Just like her mother," which did not go unheard by Scully and earned him a playful whack in the shoulder. He just turned and smiled at her. It was then that she realised that this was going to be okay, that Mulder cared about both her and Rachel, and that with Mulder by their side, they would get through this.

Part 8 -- Epilouge -- 6 months later

Saturday August 9th

Mulder sat on the couch watching Caddyshack with Scully in his arms. They had become romantically involved just after Mulder had found out about Rachel, and when Scully decided that her apartment wasn't big enough for her and Rachel, it just seemed logical that they should buy a house together.

Mulder had vowed to give Scully something close to the normal life she craved.

Rachel had settled in quite well in D.C. and was dealing with her Father's death quite well, as well as you could expect a 6 year old to.

The door opened and Rachel ran over to the couch and jumped on Mulder and Scully. "Hey buttmunch, did you have a good time with Grandma?" asked Mulder before Scully could get a word in.

"Yeah it was fun, and we went out for ice cream this morning!" Scully shot her mother a mock disappointed look.

"She'll never eat her lunch now, thanks Mom!"

Mrs Scully smiled "Well as much as I would like to stand her and argue about this with you, I've got to go."

Scully turned to Rachel, "Go say goodbye to Grandma and then take your stuff up to your room, sweetie."

"Okay Mom," Rachel said. Mulder could tell that hearing her say this regularly made Scully happy.

Once Mrs Scully had left and Rachel had gone upstairs Scully turned to Mulder, "You love her don't you?"

"Of course I love her, she's part of you."

"Good. Does that mean you'd love someone who was part of both of us aswell?"

Mulder's eyes widened "Scully, what are you saying?"

"I'm pregnant Mulder!" She exclaimed!

"That's brilliant news! When do we tell Rachel?"

Scully turned serious, "Not yet -- I want to make sure everything is okay. I don't want her to go another traumatic experience."

"Okay. C'mere Scully," he said softly. As he wrapped his arm around Scully they both had the same thought.

A house with a white picket fence and 2.4 children. That was extremely close to normal. Maybe they could get a dog to complete the picture!

The end!!!

I know, the ending sucks but it was all I could think of. Please review and tell me what you thought.


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